


Weakness

by seaofolives



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comedy, Humor, M/M, Poetry, Romantic Comedy, Swearing, Translation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28171137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaofolives/pseuds/seaofolives
Summary: For over two decades, Ignis worked persistently to perfect his bearing, his speech, and his intellect. He was wholly committed to being above the rest, to be as sharp as the finest dagger.But like many men, and all weapons, he, too, had his one weakness…
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 18
Kudos: 40





	Weakness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morphaileffect](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphaileffect/gifts), [Ulan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ulan/gifts), [amitiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amitiel/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Kahinaan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130523) by [mooglecharm (morphaileffect)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphaileffect/pseuds/mooglecharm). 



> baby's first translation work!!!
> 
> SO YEAH this is the english translation to mog's filipino fic _kahinaan_ and MAN was it an eye-opener! you'd think translating one language to another was as easy as replacing words with equivalents but noooo. massive thanks to ulan for being my beta, coach and for basically holding my hand XD 
> 
> this related work is dedicated to mog, ulan and amitiel! for the original notes, pls refer to the original work ❤️

It wasn’t easy to undo Ignis’ poise. 

And that was something he’d made sure of intentionally. 

For over two decades, he worked persistently to perfect his bearing, his speech, and his intellect. He was wholly committed to being above the rest, to be as sharp as the finest dagger. 

But like many men, and all weapons, he, too, had his one weakness… 

And Gladiolus Amicitia was determined to discover this. 

Coming back from the sea, where he left the King of Lucis and his closest friend playing and howling like kids in the water, the first thing Gladio did was to sit beside him. 

Practically naked—except for a pair of board shorts. His hair, smelling of the sea, was pressed flat onto his scalp, and his skin glistened from the water. 

And _oh so closely_ to where he sat. 

Ignis was sure this was a part of his plan. 

“Water’s great,” Gladio began. “Really ain’t up for a swim?” 

“The weather is also rather chilly,” Ignis responded calmly without raising his eyes from the book he was reading. “Would you like it if we all caught a cold?” 

“Of course not,” was Gladioʼs quick retort. “Actually, I just wanna see you without your clothes on. Or even you in a speedo…but just the speedo and nothin’ else.” 

Ignis heaved out a sigh to this. “Donʼt you think this is getting tedious? You’ve been at it for some ten years now.” 

“Got lots of stamina,” Gladio jabbed, grinning. Ignis refused to acknowledge this, though, so he had to look for something else to draw the manʼs attention with. 

“Whatcha reading?” Gladio asked, peeking at Ignis’ book. 

“Poetry.” Ignis showed him the cover of the anthology of poems he’d brought with him all the way from Insomnia. “Just a break from the news, if you will.” 

Gladio inspected it. “Didn’t know you were into those.” 

“And why is that?” Ignis rose up to that challenge. “Would you tell me it is weird for me?” 

“Nahhh. Who’s your favorite poet?”

“I have plenty. However, I much prefer the pre-war poets…such as José Corazón de Jesús.”

Just as he expected, Gladio fell quiet when he said this. Not once had he seen the man in possession of a book of poems, and it _has_ been some time now since pre-war poetry went out of style in Insomnia. So there was little chance that Gladio would recognize José Corazón de Jesús.

Perhaps with this, he would finally leave off him. 

Gladio sat face forward on the sand, gazing out in the distance. For a moment there, he didnʼt speak. 

And then, without warning, he began:

“ _If in the paths you cross,  
There be a white flower on the bent grass,  
That as you pass bows his head suddenly,  
As though too coy to look upon thee…  
My Dear, ‘tis I!_” 

A single stanza from one of José Corazón de Jesús’ poems. 

And Gladiolus Amicitia uttered it in its entirety, and so emotionally! 

Ignis caught himself staring at him. 

Son of a bitch.

“ _If there be a single bird at twilight,  
Approaching you and peering,  
If in your room, it enters gently,  
And sings to you in the deep night…  
‘tis I, My Darling!_” 

Son. Of. A bitch. 

That weakness that was mentioned beforehand? His Achilles’ heel, so to speak… 

This was it.

Ignis hadnʼt yet fully comprehended this about himself, so he hadnʼt expected that this could happen… 

But as he was listening to Gladio, as his deep baritone sweetly slow-danced to the music of words scribed some decades ago, before he was even born… 

There was something that, for the first time, had stirred awake from within Ignis Scientia’s bosom. Something he couldn’t put a name to. 

“ _If you gaze up to the peaceful night,  
And in the heavens find an orphaned star,  
Bursting upon you through your window,  
With the sorrowful rays of his tears,  
‘tis I, Precious One!_” 

Ignis had already heard it from others that Gladio had that “panty-dropping” kind of voice. 

But this was probably the only time he was witnessing for himself what those people truly meant. 

In all honesty, though, it wasnʼt just Gladioʼs voice that was arousing all these feelings. First of all, he was already captivated by the fact that Gladio was likely familiar with one of his favorite poets…where to the best of Ignis’ knowledge, he hadnʼt told anyone who these poets were at all. 

(Had Gladio only feigned surprise when he’d inquired about Ignis’ favorite poet earlier? Had he known this all along? Did he research José Corazón de Jesús and look for one of his most romantic poems and rehearse the way he would recite it until he could perfect it??

(Because it really was perfect. There was not one mistake in the way he declaimed it.) 

But no, no it wasn’t just Gladioʼs voice that was mesmerizing him right now. 

It was many other things. 

“ _If you awaken at dawn,  
And find a single butterfly,  
Upon the plant sill you’d come to water,  
Whose wings are torn as it shivers in the cold,  
‘tis I, Beloved!_” 

It was also how Gladio gazed upon him. The kind of gaze that could _truly_ see, and reach into your soul. 

That gaze that seemed to say that you were the only one who was meant to hear the poem he was reciting, because it was meant only for you. 

Because you were the only person who mattered in the entire world. 

Those moments where he would stop before he whispered such words as, “my dear,” “my darling,” “beloved”… 

And in the midst of that pause, that was when you would come to fully behold that there was no one else he could be speaking to—

Only you. 

It almost felt like Ignis’ own gaze was fixated upon Gladioʼs aspect as he went on. Was that really the color of his eyes? How distinct. They were like honey, and like chocolate, like all things sweet… 

He hadn’t realized it when the poem had come to an end. All that time, he and Gladio simply stared at each other without breathing even a single word. 

Only one thing could have ruined the mood. 

“Turn ya on, didn’t it?” Gladio asked him. 

Ignis’ face suddenly fell. 

_Fuck this stupid son of a bitch…_

He’d almost smacked the idiot. He barely caught himself, and it was only because he was a master of restraining himself that he did. This was the one talent in his life that he was proud of. 

_Did your mother truly raise you to be so dirty? Is this how you really must be, Amicitia?_

“I am not the one who’s horny here,” Ignis protested—even as his face was starting to feel warmer. 

Shit. Was he blushing? 

Hopefully, Gladio hadn’t caught this. He had shifted farther from him, anyhow, laughing as he turned his face to the sea once more. 

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know the King of Versed Debates?” was Gladioʼs haughty reply. “What did you take me for, a caveman?” 

_No. I take you for a cockblocker, damn you._

Ignis coughed briefly to hide his ire and fixed his glasses over his eyes. “Do forgive me if that is how my words came off to you,” he said. He shifted back to normalcy, reset his voice to business as usual. “It wasn’t my intention to insult you.” 

Gladio smirked, something that looked both mysterious and triumphant. 

“‘snothing,” he reassured him. “I didnʼt feel insulted at all. In fact, thanks to this chat, I learned something important.” 

“Which is?” Ignis felt a tinge of worry there, but he refused still to make it obvious. 

Gladio rose, then, and patted off some of the sand from his shorts and his legs. 

“I’ve been looking for something that could topple that magnificent poise of yours for a while now.” He cast his blinding smile at Ignis. “And I finally found one.” 

Before Ignis could snap back, Gladio raced him to it: “Well, time ta head back in the water. Wouldn’t want the king to drown under my watch.” 

He started back towards the beach. 

Ignis watched him off the distance, contemplating these unfamiliar things he was feeling. 

And forcibly restoring the peace of mind that had been stolen from him. 

Ignis was brilliant with words. He was confident he would find a name to these emotions soon enough. 

But for now, the most urgent thing he had to do was to make certain of one thing:

How not to fall so weakly like this when next time came.


End file.
